Edward Said, America’s most prominent advocate for the Palestinian cause, died today in New York City. He was 67. A scholar and literary critic, he is best known for the 1978 book, “Orientalism,” a searing criticism of the West and its understanding of Arab culture. He also wrote passionately about the Palestinians, and other subjects, from English literature, his academic specialty, to music and culture. His most inflammatory moment came in 2000, when he was photographed throwing a rock toward an Israeli guardhouse on the Lebanese border. The aging scholar said the rock was not thrown at anyone, but that it was a symbolic act of solidarity.
Columbia University Humanities professor Gayatri Spivak was a friend and colleague of Said’s for 30 years. In this radio diary, she remembers the life and legacy of Edward Said, including his rejection of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Guests:
